Gareth Bale: Player of the Season?

Never before has a Welshman won the Barclays Premier League Player of the Year award but Gareth’s Bale’s goals galore tips the balance firmly in his favour for the coveted award. No Spurs player has ever won the award either, but with impressive performances, stunning goals and fast spreading transfer rumours, it’s hard to look past the Welsh wonder to seal a first time double in a month’s time.

The Premier League Player of the Season award will be revealed in the 2nd or 3rd week of May and is chosen by a number of representatives from Barclays. This will be the 19th time that the award has been handed out with 8 of those awards being given to Manchester United players. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic are the only 2 players to receive the award twice, but this year could spell a changing of the guard in the form of Gareth Bale.

16 goals in 26 appearances this season mean he is by far Spurs’ highest goal scorer and he currently sits 3rd in the Premier League total goals ranking. However, his impression on and off the pitch has been felt for far more reasons than his ability to find the net.

With Bale in their side, Spurs seem to have a certain spark about them; a speed and drive that most teams find difficult to handle. He injects urgency into the game and though Spurs have relied on him for nearly a third of their goals this season, they have also need him for so much more than that.

Rumours of an imminent sale in the summer seem to be just rumours and it would be shame to see yet another great British player seeking higher pay and more attention abroad. Players like Bale are exactly what the Premier League needs if it’s to sustain its perception as “The Greatest League in the World”.

With Bale at their disposal Spurs have enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in recent memory and that could become even more successful if they were to seal a European title and 3rd spot in the league.

Bale however is not without competition for the Barclay’s Player of the Season award. He currently leads the betting as a heavy favourite and is generally available at odds of around 1/2.

Robin Van Persie is right behind him though at around 3/1 and he has been instrumental in United’s inevitable title winning campaign. Take into consideration Suarez (11/2) and Michu (50/1) as valuable outsiders and the closing few games of the season could well decide who receives the award.

Gareth Bale heads the market for both the Barclay’s Player of the Season and the PFA Player of the Season awards. We can only hope that such a talent is still being considered for this award in 12 months time!